The present invention relates to shock sensors incorporating a reed switch in general, and to shock sensors incorporating self-testing in particular.
A typical automobile manufactured today has a number of active safety systems that function to deploy air bags, and initiate seatbelt retractors and other devices. As the cost of air bags decreases, and the sophistication of air bags increases, the number of air bags provided in each vehicle is increasing. Systems now being installed or under development include multiple air bags to protect the passenger from front, rear, and side impacts, and to position the passenger""s body to withstand acceleration. Deployment of safety systems requires sensors that can detect and characterize a crash as it occurs. The widespread use of safety systems results in ever increasing attention to producing systems that can be economically employed on a large number of vehicles.
Typically, the lowest cost sensors are those formed as micro devices on an integrated circuit chip used to form electronic circuitry. This technology is used to fabricate accelerometers that can detect accelerations indicative of a vehicle crash. These sensors are particularly cost effective when the sensor can be fabricated together with the deployment logic circuitry using the same technology which is used cost effectively for large scale integrated circuit chips. However, the very small size of these devices makes them sensitive to electromagnetic interference and the like, which can result in false indications that a crash is taking place.
Thus an important role remains for macro scale mechanical devices which are less prone to false readings. Such devices are used to verify the existence of an actual crash event. These macro scale devices employ a sensing mass mounted on a spring or pendulum. Motion of the mass is detected by actuation of a reed switch or a magnetic field sensor.
The typical reed switch shock sensor employs a magnet, a spring, and a reed switch mounted in a housing. The three components are arranged so that under an acceleration-induced load the magnet acting as an acceleration sensing mass compresses the spring and moves to a position where the magnetic field of the magnet causes the reeds of the reed switch to attract and thus close the reed switch.
The reed switch shock sensor is a highly reliable component. However, many electronic circuits today incorporate built-in test, and the reed switch is indistinguishable from an open circuit unless the circuit board is undergoing the proper acceleration. Thus, in some cases the shock sensor may incorporate some method of self-testing which can verify the presence of the reed switch and which may cause the reed switch to operate. Such self-testing functions typically require additional parts, including the addition of a self-test electrical coil to cause the reed switch to close.
What is needed is a shock sensor employing a reed switch that can be self-tested without the addition of a test coil.
The reed switch based shock sensor of this invention provides means for passing electrical current through the spring used to bias the shock sensing magnetic mass in the unactuated position. The spring extends between a first stop and a shock sensing magnetic mass that is biased against a second stop. So long as the magnetic mass is held against the second stop, the reed switch remains open. A path for electrical current is created which leads through the coil spring used to bias the sensing mass. The coil spring is wrapped around the reed switch, allowing the coil spring to act as an electrical coil. The electric coil generates a magnetic field of sufficient strength to cause the reed switch reeds to attract and so close the reed switch, thus allowing the reed switch to be tested, without the addition of an electrical test coil.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a shock sensor that facilitates built-in test.
It is a further feature of the present invention to provide a shock sensor having a reed switch that can be electrically detected.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a shock sensor that can be actuated electronically for a self-test, without the addition of a test coil.